Israeli army withdraws from West Bank city after deadly incursion

The Israeli army withdrew from the West Bank city of Tulkarem on Thursday after a two-day incursion that killed nine Palestinians.

A military statement said that caches of explosives and weapons were seized, suspects detained and gunmen killed in "face-to-face battles" during the operation in the city.

At least nine people were killed and 19 others injured during the Israeli attack, according to local health authorities.

Over the past few years, the Israeli military has conducted regular raids in the West Bank, which have escalated with the beginning of the war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. Palestinians have also been violently attacked by illegal Israeli settlers.

At least 834 Palestinians have since been killed and over 6,500 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

The escalation follows a landmark opinion in July by the International Court of Justice that declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land "illegal" and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.